Mott phase in a van der Waals transition-metal halide at single-layer limit
Lang Peng, Jianzhou Zhao, Min Cai, Gui-Yuan Hua, Zhen-Yu Liu, Hui-Nan Xia, Yuan Yuan, Wen-Hao Zhang, Gang Xu, Ling-Xiao Zhao, Zeng-Wei Zhu, Tao Xiang, Ying-Shuang Fu
Abstract
The authors report the growth of a van der Waals crystal films CrI${}_{2}$ with film thickness down to the single layer limit, and identified its Mott insulator phase with scanning tunneling spectroscopy and density functional plus dynamic mean field theory calculations, which features a large band gap and characteristic spectral weight transfer at defects.
Topics & Concepts
van der Waals forceMott insulatorCondensed matter physicsPhase (matter)Quantum tunnellingMaterials scienceSpectroscopyDensity functional theoryScanning tunneling microscopeVan der Waals strainHalideVan der Waals surfaceField (mathematics)Band gapLimit (mathematics)Phase transitionMott transitionCrystal (programming language)Mean field theoryVan der Waals radiusScanning tunneling spectroscopyInsulator (electricity)Layer (electronics)PhysicsChemistryInfrared spectroscopyLocal-density approximationTunnel effectMolecular physicsSpectral lineMetal–insulator transition2D Materials and ApplicationsTopological Materials and PhenomenaElectronic and Structural Properties of Oxides